More hens?

Kathy · More hens?

Father has offered to buy me a couple of hens so 2 questions.

How do I get my current ones to accept any new ones?

What breed is placid and a good layer!?

nanny-now and forever

the bigger the bird the more placid it is but won't nedessarily be a good layer.... buff orpingtons are very placid - so laid back they are almost horizental

there are a couple of things you can try to mix them but the only way i have found in my experience to mix hens is to wait till dark and then put the new ones on the perch next to the residents and then in the morning they don't seem to cotton on so much.........but i have to say that my hens are not contained in too small a space so have room to get used to each other without too many problems.....it worked recently with the cockerell

TheGirlsMum

Isn't Muntjac on your doorstep? He's the poultry expert.

Bovey Belle

We had Black Rocks and they were very reliable layers and sensible. We also had Marans, which laid when they felt like it (beautiful speckledy brown eggs, also sensible hens. We also had the hybrid Warrens (brown jobs they are). I echo Nanny in introducing them after dark - they all come out friends the next morning. Amended to remove a random "blue" word - can't for the life of me think what I meant to put!

Kathy

Thanks folks, I like the "after dark" idea. So you just shove them all in the same shed at night and leave them to it then?

Muntjac and Aggie popped in today for a quick visit, both looking well and enjoying life. Smile

Just googled Black rock and found the original breeder, he's 10 mns away from me! http://www.blackrockhens.co.uk/petersiddons.html
Very Happy

Bovey Belle

Yup - just bung 'em in and let them get on with it! Fancy that about the Black Rocks . . . fate and all that!

TheGirlsMum

My friends have blackrocks, they thought they ought to seeing as they live in a hamlet called Black Rock!!!!

Kathy

Black rocks it is then, watch this space........................